The city was forced to repave a section of the Red Hill Valley Parkway after a tractor-trailer struck a bridge and rolled over on the roadway, spilling about 44,000 litres of liquid asphalt.

The single-vehicle collision happened around 4:30 a.m., police say. The Red Hill Valley Parkway was closed southbound between Queenston Road and Greenhill Avenue, and northbound between Stone Church Road and King Street East.

The city says there was "significant damage to the road itself" and that "most of the 44,000 litres of liquid asphalt that spilled onto road and median areas has been cleaned up, there are still some repairs and clean up that will continue into next week."

On Thursday, Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe said in a statement that the tanker truck rolled over after striking the CP railroad bridge that crosses the Red Hill just south of King Street.

"Liquid asphalt was leaking from the tanker across the northbound lanes down through the centre median and across one lane of the south bound lanes," Cunliffe said Thursday morning.

"The Hamilton Fire Department hazmat team was able to contain the leaking product from the tanker unit as well as set up containment systems in the median and roadways."

Emergency crews first estimated that around 30,000 litres of the asphalt leaked out of the tanker, but that number was later upped to 44,000.

Two people who were in the truck when the crash happened were pulled out of the wreck by firefighters using an aerial ladder, and then assessed by paramedics, Cunliffe said. Police say they were taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

No evacuations were necessary, Cunliffe said.

The city says it expects the roadway to be closed until Thursday evening. (City of Hamilton)

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